Gustaf W. "Gus" Kruger, 80, of Dell Rapids, passed away on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 under hospice care. His Memorial Service was held Wednesday, October 30, 2024 at Zion Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls. Visitation was one hour prior to the start of the service. A time of fellowship and a luncheon in the church hall followed the service. Inurnment with military rites in the Dell Rapids Cemetery.
Gus was born to Fred and Alice (Walker) Kruger, on March 7, 1944, in Pipestone, MN. His parents moved to SD and farmed in the Egan and Trent areas, where Gus attended school, graduating from Trent High School in 1962. Gus was a Vietnam Era Army Veteran, serving in various overseas locations from 1965 to 1967. Upon returning from the military, Gus was in the commercial construction field for 45 years, retiring from Jans Corporation in 2008, where he was a Project Superintendent for 12 years.
Gus was united in marriage to Marie Schildhauer on May 20, 1967 at the Lutheran Church of Dell Rapids. The couple resided in Sioux Falls for 5 years, with the remainder of their years living in Trent and Dell Rapids, where they raised their 4 children.
Gus was a longtime member of Zion Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, where he was actively involved, serving as Head Elder on the Board of Elders and in many ministries over the years. Gus especially enjoyed the years singing with the Praise Team, using his carpentry skills with Helping Hands and the church remodeling project, and assuming the leadership and revival of Streets of Bethlehem and the Easter Egg Hunt. Gus was an avid hunter and fisherman, and enjoyed many sports, especially basketball and football. He loved watching his favorite NFL Teams, the Broncos and Chiefs. As he was raised on a farm, Gus was always a “farmer” at heart, and loved raising his many vegetable gardens!
Survivors include Marie of Dell Rapids; daughters, Lisa (Michael) Westberg of Sioux Falls, Lori (Joe) Kappler of Baltic and Leslie (Dan) Hisken of Marshall, MN; daughter-in-law, Kelley Kruger of Freeman; six grandchildren, Kayla and Kendra Kappler, Derek, Emma and Brooke Hisken and Chloe Kruger; his 4 sisters, Barbara Seitz of Seattle, WA, Sharon Schuttler of McCook, NE, Patricia Smith of Sioux Falls and Fran Hanson of Omaha, NE; his brother, Clyde (Deb) Kruger of Dell Rapids; his many nieces and nephews and his special friends, Spencer and Stacy Tisher and family.
Gus is preceded in death by his son, Lucas “Luke”, his parents, his sisters, Virginia Lee and Karen Roberts, his in-laws, Chris and Donna Schildhauer, brother-in-laws, Donald Seitz, James Roberts, Francis Schuttler, Stanley Lee and Robert Smith and his sister-in-law, Dee Wood.
